Troubleshooting the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU

This section covers problems you might encounter when configuring, operating and managing the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU. This chapter provides suggested actions you can use to solve the problems, and includes the following topics.

Resolving MCU Failure to Register with the Gatekeeper

This section describes what to do if the MCU fails to register with the Cisco IOS H.323 Gatekeeper.

Possible Causes

Verification Steps

The gatekeeper address is set incorrectly.

Verify the Gatekeeper IP address settings.

TCP/IP setup issue.

•Verify that the MCU is assigned a unique IP address.

•Verify that the subnet mask and default gateway subnet mask are set correctly.

LAN or cable problem

•Verify the switch port settings.

•Verify that the Ethernet cable is straight through.

•Try another Ethernet cable.

The MCU cannot register to a Cisco MCM. The Cisco MCM may not understand the syntax of the label "MCU".

Change the registration name of the MCU to "GW" in the MCU Advanced Commands window.

Resolving Front Panel LED Issues

This section describes what to do if MCU module front panel LEDs are off at all times, including during the power off, power on cycle.

Possible Causes

Verification Steps

Power supply problem

•Make sure that the power supply LED is green.

•Check the AC cable and fuse.

The MCU module is not inserted correctly in the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3545 chassis, or a back plane pin is bent.

•Open the telecom latch screws and extract the MCU module from its slot.

•Verify that there are no bent pins on the back plane (using a flashlight, if necessary).

•Re-insert the MCU module carefully closing the latches.

Resolving MCU Conference Initiation Failure

This section describes what to do if MCU conference initiation fails.

Possible Causes

Verification Steps

The MCU is set to work with an external authorization server, but no authorization server is configured.

Verify that the External conference authorization policy option is set to None in in MCU > Settings > Advanced.

The MCU is set to work with an external authorization server, but the authorization server is not configured properly to work with the MCU.

Verify that the MCU IP address is correctly configured in the authorization server.

The MCU is set to prevent endpoints from creating conferences.

Verify that the Conferences can be created using option is set to Scheduler, Web, Control API and dial-in in MCU > Settings > Advanced.

There are not enough MCU resources available for the desired conference.

•Verify that the service you are using reserves the minimum number of parties (2) and allows expansion up to the required number of parties.

•Verify that current calls are not utilizing all resources by check the available MCU capacity and then trying to disconnect other calls in order to find the problem.

The service requires one EMP video processor, but no EMP module appears to be registered with the MCU.

•Ping the EMP module.

•Open a Telnet connection to the IP address of the required EMP module.

•Open a serial connection to the EMP module if there is no response from the IP address.

•Type the advanced command modifyTargetDevice to ensure that the EMP is configured to work with the correct MCU.

You can perform this operation using the serial connection via the countdown menu visible after rebooting the EMP.

•Reboot the EMP after modifying the controlling MCU.

Resolving Conference Access Failure

This section describes what to do if an endpoint cannot be invited to a conference or dial into the conference.

Possible Causes

Verification Steps

The MCU is configured to work with an authorization server, but the endpoint is not authorized and therefore the authorization server rejects the call.

Check if the endpoint is authorized in the authorization server.

The endpoint is currently in a call.

Confirm that the endpoint is not busy/in a call.

There are not enough MCU resources available for the desired conference.

Remove one of the current participants to verify that the endpoint can join successfully.

Resolving Cascading Failure

This section describes what to do if MCU conference cascading fails.

Possible Causes

Verification Steps

The invited conference does not exist, and the remote MCU is not in Ad Hoc (Scheduler, Web, Control API and dial-in) mode.

•Using the remote MCU web interface, verify that the remote conference exists or that the Conferences can be created using option is set to Scheduler, Web, Control API and dial-in in MCU > Settings > Advanced.

•If ad hoc conferencing is not allowed for the remote MCU, and the remote conference does not exist, create the conference and then cascade it (web/dial invite).

Service prefixes are not unique and there is service prefix conflict.

Verify that all cascaded MCU modules have unique service prefixes.

The remote MCU module is not registered with its gatekeeper.

Verify proper registration of all MCU modules with their respective gatekeepers.

Not enough ports are available to accomplish cascading.

Note Cascading requires one port from each conference.

Check that the number of free ports on each EMP used is not zero.

Services are not synchronized.

Verify that service definitions do not include differences such as H.235 being enabled on one conference only.

Resolving Quality Issues in Cascaded Conferences

This section describes what to do if a cascaded conference suffers long delays or bad lip synchronization.